


Strange Love

by GracefulCrimson



Category: Dark Shadows (2012)
Genre: Age Play, Dom/sub, Dubious Consent, Eventual Smut, F/F, Girl Penis, MD/LG, Manipulation, Mommy Kink, Obsessive Angie, Romance, g!p Angie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2020-07-31 12:16:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20114968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GracefulCrimson/pseuds/GracefulCrimson
Summary: Set in 1976. Barnabas Collins never escaped the coffin Angelique put him in two centuries ago. Because of this, the Collins family is mostly out of her way. With her main objective in life accomplished and Angel Bay Seafood flourishing, Angie starts to become bored. However, her next challenge is just around the corner.Kathryn James is a 19 year old girl, born and raised in Collinsport, Maine. Her parents moved away for her father's position as a doctor in a new wing of a hospital in New York. Working at the local antique store and hanging out with her close friend Carolyn Stoddard is how she spends her days. Life seems to be the same thing day in and day out, and she wonders what is in store for her future.





	1. Remembering

**Author's Note:**

> Big thank you to my friend Sam for agreeing to edit anything needed in this fic! You can find her on Tumblr at it-isnot-forever. This is not my first time writing fanfiction, but it has been years since I last wrote one. So just a fair warning, I might be a little rusty. Hope you all enjoy! 
> 
> I do not own any of the Dark Shadows characters.

Once I hear the ding of the bell at the front door, signaling the prompt exit of our last customer, I resume staring out the window and watching the people and cars go by. Quaint shops and boutiques, much like our antique store, line the streets of downtown Collinsport; gathering interest from the passersby. Just as I start to get bored of observing the image in front of me, a bright red convertible passes by. It happens slow enough that I also catch a glimpse of the blonde hair. Angelique Bouchard. I’ve seen her car pass by many times, but a certain memory of it always tends to stick out in my mind. 

At fourteen, I had grown tired of staying in all night. With nothing to do but read, listen to music, and sleep, I decided it would be a good idea to sneak out and go for a walk; and it’s not like anything bad would happen if I only did this every once in a while. That’s what I kept telling myself as I hopped off the bottom step of the fire escape and walked out onto the sidewalk. 

It was around one in the morning. The streets were empty since there wasn’t much to do in a town like this past ten o’clock. I headed down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace, not sure where exactly I should walk to but enjoying the quiet night nevertheless. After about twenty minutes, I heard the engine of a car on the road coming from the opposite direction, but before I could process what it was, it was already flying past me. I saw a flash of red under the streetlights and could make out the general shape of the car. It came to an abrupt stop a good distance down the street in front of the Collins Cannery. I pick up my pace a bit while sticking to the shadows along the way; wanting to get a closer look and to figure out who it was, but also not wanting to get into the driver’s line of sight. Once I got close enough to get a decent look at the car and the woman driving it, I paused. She looked at the cannery for a minute or two, and then as quickly as she got there, she left in the same manner. 

What happened next is something I will never forget. Not even a moment later the factory went up in flames in such an unnatural way. The fire engulfed the whole building in just the blink of an eye. I was frozen in shock as I watched. Luckily, the massive flames were quickly noticed by some people in apartments above the shops nearby. People raced out onto the streets, the fire department arriving minutes later. I ran home quickly and laid in bed for the rest of the night, unable to sleep as my brain tried to process witnessing something so strange. 

Angelique is so well respected by everyone in town, they practically worship her. But I don’t buy it. When I see her interact with people, there always seems to be a hidden motive behind that too perfect mask of hers. When she smiles, it’s like seeing a predator bear their teeth at their blissfully unaware prey. She has no living family, and she doesn’t seem to have any close friends. Everyone would probably say that she’s a people person from the way she goes about town, but it seems to me that it’s only for show. 

The ringing of the telephone breaks me out of my flow of thoughts. Picking up, I answer the way I always do, “North Atlantic Antiques. Katie speaking. How may I help you?” 

“Katie, how’s everything going?” The sweet, cheery voice on the other end of the line automatically gives away her identity. 

“Hi, Edith. Everything’s going um...great,” I reply, not being able to keep the shaken up tone in my voice in check. 

“It doesn’t sound like it’s great. Is there something wrong, dear,” Edith asks, genuinely concerned. 

She and her husband Jim really do care about my well-being. The older couple has kept an eye out for me since my employment when I was fifteen. Even more so when my parents moved away to New York for my dad’s new job at the hospital. I had only just turned eighteen when my dad got offered a position as a doctor on one of the new floors. Of course, it was reasonable for him to take it. He’d make way more money there than he ever would here. Since then, the older couple has taken me in and treated me as their own. They just settled their wills a couple of weeks ago to officially transfer the ownership of the antique store and apartment into my name once they are gone. They’ve taken to travelling more recently. At the moment, they are in Pennsylvania visiting family for two weeks. 

“No, everything is perfectly fine here. It’s just been slow today, and I’m getting a little tired,” I say, trying on a more reassuring tone. “How’s your trip going?”

“Oh, it’s been wonderful! It’s so nice to spend time with my cousin Helen again.” 

I smile to myself at her enthusiasm. “I’m glad you’re having a good trip. And don’t worry about the store, I’ll take great care of it while you’re gone.” 

“I know you will. Thank you so much, Katie. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Talk to you soon, Edith. Bye.” I gently set the phone back on the hook. Cleaning is probably the most productive thing to steer my attention away from my previous thoughts, so that’s exactly what I start to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
My tumblr is gracefulcrimson. Follow me there for more content regarding this fic as well as other Eva Green content.  
Have a wonderful day!


	2. Later That Night

Noting that it’s half past ten, according to the clock inside the diner behind me and Carolyn, I sigh. “I can’t believe the night’s over just like that.” 

Carolyn rolls her eyes. “It doesn’t have to be.” She smiles teasingly. “Come on, let’s go explore our favorite place. We’re all dressed up for the occasion.” 

Glancing down at my tight, black dress that just barely touches the middle of my thighs, lacy tights, and heels, I laugh. “You can’t be serious. What are we even going to do there?” 

She shrugs, her mischievous look never faltering. “Maybe we’ll meet a vampire or see a ghost.” 

We used to joke about her wild family legends all the time when we were younger. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches, you name it; her family had them somewhere along the line. 

“Yeah, okay. Let’s go, weirdo,” I say, walking back toward Carolyn’s car. We get in, and she puts the key in the ignition. As she drives to our destination, she blasts the radio. One thing about driving with Carolyn, is that you have to be okay with possibly going deaf by the time you’re thirty. It’s pretty obnoxious to the people on the streets as well, but she doesn’t care. The upside for me is that we have the same taste in music. It mostly consists of Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, and Black Sabbath. When we first became friends, almost all we’d do together is listen to her record collection and talk.

One more song later, and we’re parked in front of the abandoned Collins Cannery. After the fire, there was quite a bit of the building left standing. I have no idea how those parts survived, but regardless, it was ruined way beyond anything Carolyn’s family could fix. We both get out of the car and walk up to it, Carolyn leading the way inside the very front portion of it. 

“I can’t believe after all these years it’s still standing,” remarks Carolyn as she kicks aside a small piece of wood. “I wonder why they don’t just bulldoze it to the ground.” 

I shrug, looking around the place a little more. I wonder if we’ll ever find out how the fire was started. I know I saw Angelique there that night, but I have no idea how to make the connection when she didn’t even leave her car. I’m deep in thought observing the wreckage of the cannery when I hear a car engine roar to life. My head snaps up to look for the source of the sound. It’s Carolyn’s car. And she’s in it. She rolls down her window and shouts, “I’ll be back later. Let me know when you find a ghost.” She laughs and drives off.

I sigh in annoyance, but I’m not surprised. She plays pranks like these on me every so often, and I’ve come to expect at least one per month. 

“Such a little shit…” I mumble to myself. I take a look around the inside for a few more minutes then decide to take a walk around the outside of the building. I guess I’ll waste a little time before setting out on my walk home. Carolyn will probably come back in a few minutes anyway. There’s a lot of damage on the outer part of the walls of the building as one would expect. Surprisingly, I’ve never checked out the back part of the building, so I continue on in that direction. There’s a few hazard signs near the back door, probably alerting people of the heavy machinery inside. I try the handle on the door to see if it will open. 

I feel the lock is still in place at the same time a low voice asks, “Is she coming back any time soon?” I jump in surprise, not expecting anyone else to be here at this time of night. I turn around and in almost slow motion, I realize the voice belongs to Angelique Bouchard. 

I had only heard her voice once in my life, but that was enough to permanently etch it into my brain. A few days after the Collins Cannery fire, she stopped by the mansion to express her sympathy to Elizabeth and Roger. Carolyn and I were headed downstairs from her room to get a snack when we heard them speaking, so we crouched down by the railing and listened. The exchange from both sides sounded so incredibly fake that I wondered why they even bothered trying to keep up the facades. She was only there for maybe five minutes, and then she was gone. 

Shifting on my feet while glancing away, I stretch the truth. “Oh, um yeah... she’s done this type of thing before. She’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Angelique gives me a tight smile, “I think I’ll wait with you until she gets back.” 

I politely smile back and tell her, “Oh no, you don’t need to do that. I’ll be fine, really.” 

Her eyes leisurely roam over my body then meet mine again. “Actually, I do. Wouldn’t want you crossing paths with someone who might have...bad intentions.” 

That statement sparks an attitude that I don't normally allow myself to have around people I just met. “Of course you’d know all about having bad intentions,” I snap, “Oh, and here’s a tip; maybe you should search for potential witnesses a little more thoroughly before committing arson.” 

The stare I receive after saying that, pierces right through me and sends a deep shiver up my spine. Instantly regretting my words, I take a step back to put some distance between us. I probably shouldn’t have brought that up since I’m currently alone in the back of an abandoned property at night with the town’s most powerful person. Angelique takes a slow step toward me. 

“Brave words for someone who has no idea of what I’m capable of doing. Especially when you’re here all alone…” 

“Carolyn will be back any minute now.” I quip back at her with the last ounces of bravery I have left. 

“And if she isn’t, you’ll ride with me.” Angie says, very matter of factly. 

“You don’t even know me. Just leave me alone, and we probably won’t ever run into each other again.” 

“I do know your name now; courtesy of your little friend. I think that’s a good starting point for getting to know each other.” Something deep inside me so badly wants to wipe that self-satisfied smirk off her face. 

I scoff at her response, “Aren’t you a CEO? I hardly believe that you have time to just get to know people for no reason.”

“You’re right there. I don’t have time when I have no reason. However, I do make time for what I want and who I want.” 

My reply is hesitant, almost not wanting to know her answer. “And what do you want from me?” 

Angelique takes a quick up and down glance at my body then meets my eyes again with a speculating gaze, tilting her head slightly to the side. “I haven’t fully decided yet.” 

Before I can say anything more, she steps away and starts walking off to her car that’s parked far enough away from the factory that no one would think too much of it. “Let’s go. I’m taking you home.”

I stay standing where I am, not sure of my next move. 

She looks back and takes notice of this but keeps walking to her signature red convertible. I take this brief moment to ignore her and start walking around to the front of the cannery, toward the sidewalk. If I start walking now, I can make it home in about a half hour. Unfortunately, just as I reach the sidewalk, Angelique pulls her car up on the road beside me. 

“What? Afraid I’ll bite?” She asks with that same satisfied smirk, a chuckle dancing through her tone. 

I sigh and walk up to the passenger’s side. The moment I open the door, I have a gut feeling that giving up right now will cause some trouble for me in the future. Nevertheless, I get in and close the door. “I’m not afraid of you.” 

“You should be.” Angelique leans over just a little and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. I try not to shiver as her fingers brush against my neck before pulling away. “And if you really aren’t, you should try to be if you want to have any chance of coming out of this little game unscathed.” Her smile directed at me before she starts to drive is sickeningly sweet. 

I’m too wrapped up in wondering what I’ve gotten myself into to say much during the drive. She asks where I live and I tell her. Looking out the window, I don’t notice what she’s doing until her hand comes to rest on my thigh. Tracing the lace patterns on my tights, she scans over my outfit again. “Wearing all that to impress anyone in particular?” 

I roll my eyes and try not to squirm under her touch. The brush of her fingertips both set me on fire and freeze me in place. And it most certainly keeps me silent. She then removes her hand from my thigh.

“Why so quiet? Cat got your tongue? You seemed like such a brave little thing just a few minutes ago.” I can hear the smirk in her voice, so I choose not to look at her or reply. I know it would only end up making matters worse.

Moments later, she comes to a stop in front of my apartment with no further vague threats or lingering touches.

Getting out of the car, I decide that a thanks for the ride isn’t in order after everything she’s said. I feel her intense gaze on me as I step onto the sidewalk and close the door. 

“I’ll be seeing you again soon. Goodnight, Katie.” 

Remaining quiet, I walk toward the side door, just barely hearing Angelique add, “It looks like I’ll have to teach you some manners as well.”

I quickly unlock the door and lock it again once inside. Rushing up the stairs to my apartment, I try to shove my thoughts aside. Even trying my hardest, some of them still break through. 

I have no idea what she meant by her last words to me. I have an idea of what she’s capable of, but I don’t know how far she’d go in this particular case. I don’t even know what she wants with me. I should have kept my mouth shut about the cannery fire, but seeing her there just sparked so much frustration and I couldn’t stop the words from flowing out. If she’s gotten away with that, what else has she done that we don’t know about? 

Shaking my head, I decide to put these thoughts away for good and get ready for bed. Once I remove my makeup and replace the dress with a long sleep shirt, I crawl into bed and almost immediately fall asleep. Being put in stressful positions does have its perks after all. 

That night I dream of pale fingers brushing against my cheek, down my neck, and even further down. Red lips leave their mark on my jaw. Scratches are left on the sensitive skin of my thighs. Blonde hair splays out on the bed as I am pulled in closer. And the last thing I see are stormy blue eyes as I hear a husky whisper of, “You are mine”, followed by a low growl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I’ll be back soon with another update :)


	3. Persistent Thoughts

Waking up the next morning was easy. I did so with a gasp as I dreamt of being trapped in a room full of thick, black smoke. There was no escape in sight. Both of my dreams from last night felt so real, and they were equally unexpected. 

Before I could ponder them further, the phone starts to ring. I get out of bed and pad over in my bare feet. I’m not sure who would be calling this early. After taking the telephone off the hook, I answer. “Hello?”

“Katie! Fuck. What happened to you last night? I came back like ten minutes later and you were nowhere to be found.” Carolyn’s words came through at such a high speed and volume, catching me off guard.

“Well sorry. But if I remember correctly, you were the one that left me all alone at the cannery in the first place.” I remark with a playfully snarky tone. 

“Shut up, you know I was just playing a prank on you. I wouldn’t just leave you there all night.” 

I sigh. “Yeah, I know. I just...started walking home and,” I paused, not sure where to go with this slight lie. “Um...Angie Bouchard saw me when she drove past and gave me a ride home.” 

“What the fuck,” Carolyn replies, not exactly an exclamation or a question. I decided to fill in the gaps of her thoughts on this matter before she can jump to conclusions. 

“Yeah, it was actually pretty nice of her.” I laugh a little and add for good measure, “Shocker.”

“Wow, the bitch has some compassion once every decade. Who would’ve thought,” Carolyn sarcastically remarks. 

“I guess so,” Before she can gather her thoughts enough to interrogate me, I change the subject. “Anyway, I better go. I have to open up the store in an hour, and I just woke up.” 

Carolyn lets out a slow sigh, “Yeah, okay. Have fun. And I’m glad you got home safe by the way.”

I smile to myself. Carolyn rarely shows her caring side, even to the people closest to her. “Hey, don’t worry about me. I’ll talk to you later.”

With that, I hang up the phone. 

It turns out that cooking while distracted can turn a very simple task of frying eggs into a very difficult ordeal. Throughout the entirety of making breakfast, eating, getting dressed, and putting my light everyday makeup on, I had one thing on my mind. Or rather, one person. The dream I had last night was already strange enough, but this current distraction was just baffling. I don’t view Angelique in any way other than a callous business woman willing to cause harm to anyone in exchange for some sick and twisted satisfaction. 

And yet, no matter what I do to get my mind off her, it circles right back. Making my way down the stairs, I stop at the back door. Whenever Edith goes on a trip, she’ll almost always send back some antiques she’s found along the way. And it looks like this is one of those times. The package I pick up isn’t too heavy, but it definitely has some weight to it. I set the box down on the counter near the register and grab a pair of scissors. Upon opening the package, I am greeted with a small stack of books. All of them are titles I’ve never heard before, but they have the same worn yet charming appearance. The sound these hardcovers make when opened speak of many readers’ enjoyment once upon a time. 

The cover of the last book makes me pause. On the front is a blonde sitting at a vanity applying a shade of red lipstick that looks all too familiar. I shake my head and put it back on the bottom of the stack and place the books on various tables around the shop. 

The rest of the day goes by pretty uneventful, so I busy myself with cleaning up the place. Five customers walked; two bought something and the others were just looking around. Almost all of them made some sort of comment to me about the fair tonight. The Collinsport fair is rather small, but is usually the talk of the town for nearly up to a week after. I wasn’t planning on going since Carolyn never goes; she hates making appearances at public events because of all the stares her and her family end up receiving. 

I haven’t been since I was thirteen, but I think I might give it another try tonight. Who knows, maybe it’ll help the store’s business if I make an appearance. 

Once the old grandfather clock in the corner strikes six, I head upstairs to freshen up before going out. After fixing up my mascara and applying some lip gloss, I take one final look at myself in the mirror. My skirt and long sleeved purple blouse that have gotten me through the day will do just fine for the fair. 

When I’m back downstairs, I walk outside and lock the store up behind me. As I walk further into town, I start seeing crowds of people here and there. They increase in number once I get to the heart of the event. I take a walk down the row of food stands since I skipped lunch earlier. I decide on a funnel cake, pay for it, and make my way over to a picnic table to eat it. I haven’t had one in a long time, and this one looks better than I remember. It’s absolutely coated in powdered sugar and has chocolate sauce drizzled practically all over it. 

A little while later, I can’t eat another bite no matter how much I want to. I discard the rest in the nearest trash can and walk around a bit more to see what’s here. Of course, there’s the staples of any fair. A carousel with plenty of smiling children, a funhouse, bumper cars, a drop tower, a small ferris wheel, a tilt-a-whirl, and a few others. As I’m scanning the space, I see something, or rather someone, who stops me dead in my tracks. Angie. She’s not looking in my direction but she is facing this way so I think quickly and rush into the line for the funhouse, probably the last place she would ever go. Thankfully, the line is pretty short. I only have to wait just a minute before finally running inside. 

There was no one behind me in line so I relax upon entering. I take my time walking through, finding myself in a hall of mirrors a couple minutes later. The lights are so dim in here, but I still see a familiar form in the mirror, and she doesn’t look that far away. It’s so bizarre I almost think I’m hallucinating, but I still don’t take the chance. I quickly walk through the rest of the hall of mirrors and walk down some stairs, seeing the exit straight ahead. I walk through the exit, hoping to disappear into the crowd. But then I feel an arm around my waist, pulling me close.  


“Why is it that every time I see you, you’re trying to get away from me?” She asks, that smirk on her face yet again. I hesitate, confused about how any of this happened. I glance around searching for something to say, but instead I see a lot of eyes on us. I look back at Angie, seeing that she notices this as well. Instead of backing off, she seems pleased about it. She tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “So cute that you think you could lose me that easily.” 

She ushers me out of the crowded spot we’re in, arm never leaving my waist. Every touch of hers burns. “Is this what you do now? Follow me around all the time?” I barely manage to ask without faltering. She eyes me a moment before answering. 

“I’m a starved predator, darling. And you’re my only prey.” She says while stroking my cheek. “Now, unless you want to play another game of cat and mouse, go home. I don’t like the way some of the men here have been looking at you.” 

I’m stunned into silence. The audacity she has is astounding. Normally, I wouldn’t listen, but that last part made me a little uncomfortable so I found myself listening and promptly leaving the fair.


	4. Agreements

I’m suddenly jerked awake as my head lolls forward, propped up by my hand. I stand up straight behind the counter since leaning doesn’t seem to be a good idea right now. I didn’t sleep at all last night. Maybe an hour or two all put together. Angie’s words from yesterday kept swirling around in my brain, causing more and more confusion and nerves. What could she possibly want from someone like me? 

My memory takes me back to that flash of a moment outside the funhouse when everyone seemed to be looking at us. I could only imagine how confused they were. I don’t remember Angie ever being seen publicly with someone in a situation like that; let alone touching another human being. Everything has just been so bizarre lately. 

The morning is almost over, confirmed by the grandfather clock reading 11:15. This day couldn’t possibly go by fast enough. Simply imagining my warm bed upstairs is enough to force my eyes shut for a moment. If I’m lucky, I’ll only get one more customer for the day, and the rest of the time I will be able to fully relax. As I’m toying with the idea of inviting Carolyn over for a lazy night in, two men walk inside. 

They don’t look anything like typical customers we get. Both are wearing suits and ties, and one is carrying a briefcase. With solemn expressions they look over at me. 

“Kathryn James?” The man without the briefcase speaks up. 

“Yes?” I reply with an inquisitive look. 

“We’ve been instructed to deliver these papers to you.” The other man sets the briefcase on the counter in front of me and pulls out an envelope and hands it to me. “If you have any questions, there is an address of the office you should direct them to in there as well. The information in there is very time sensitive so I advise you to take a look at it as soon as possible. Have a good afternoon.” 

And with that, they were gone. They were so quick, I didn’t even have time to open the envelope while they were here. 

Suddenly the small white envelope in my hands becomes much more intimidating. I have no idea what it could be, especially accompanied by a visit from people like that. Taking a deep breath, I side step over to the drawer and grab the letter opener. Slicing it open, I find three papers folded up together. I pull them out carefully and begin reading. Halfway into the first paragraph, my heart sinks into my stomach. This cannot be happening. It doesn’t make any sense. But here it is in black and white. I continue reading and find it becoming worse and worse. Tears of frustration and panic begin to flow freely down my cheeks. 

These papers state that the local government wishes to take the store’s property for public use, and they will not take no for an answer. The only way to stop this is to pay their $20,000 fee. To make matters worse, at least 10% of it must be paid by the owners in 24 hours. Jim and Edith won’t be back for another week and a half. As I am staring down at these papers and debating if a call to them right now would give them enough time to get back home, someone steps into my peripheral line of sight. 

It startles me since I didn’t hear anyone walk in, and I snap my head up to meet their gaze. Just my luck that I would see Angelique’s cool blue eyes. She leans against the counter and props her chin up on her hand, a subtle pout on her face. “What’s wrong, dear?” 

I sigh shakily and try to blink my tears away, but my emotions are betraying me and they continue to fall. She gently takes the papers out of my hands with complete entitlement and reads them. She frowns then looks up at me. “My poor little dove. This must be so stressful for you. I’m sure the older couple who owns this place will be able to fix this.”

I sniffle, too overwhelmed to be embarrassed about crying in front of her. “I don’t think they’ll be able to make it back in time. They’re away on a trip, and these papers were just delivered five minutes ago.”

Angie hums slightly to acknowledge what I said. She straightens up. “Well, I suppose I could take care of it. I do have some connections in the local government,” she states, thinking out loud. She glances over at the clock and nods. “I could have it done by the end of the day.” 

My brow furrows. “You would do that for me?” 

“Of course, Katie. I think we can come to an agreement that’ll... make it even.” A playful smirk forms on her face during that pause. “Do you happen to have today’s paper?” 

I’m even more confused now. “Umm… yeah, I brought it in earlier.” I walk into the back room and come back with it. I glance down at the front page and stop right where I am. There’s a picture that someone must have taken last night of Angie and I outside of the funhouse. The headline is ‘Angie Bouchard spotted visiting the Collinsport Fair with significant other?’. 

“Oh good, it looks like you’ve seen it now,” she says with a laugh dancing through her tone. “It seems as if the townspeople liked seeing me a little more domesticated with someone by my side.” 

“But we’re not- “ I start, but she quickly cuts me off. 

“Here’s the thing, Katie. I need every bit of good publicity I can get. Lately, it’s been very stagnant. Not bad, but not great. I need something new to spice things up. Something eye catching.” She nods to the newspaper in my hands. “Like that.” The tone of her voice is something close to what I would imagine she’d sound like in one of her business meetings. “Be mine for…”, her lips purse as she thinks, “six months. I’ll take care of the problem with this store; you won’t even need to tell Jim and Edith about it. And you will help me win the hearts of everyone in this damn town.”

I take a pause to weigh the options out in my head, but I quickly realize that I don’t have many. Either let the town take the antique shop and my apartment, or allow Angie to take care of it and pretend to be her girlfriend for a little while. Feeling backed into a corner, I make the decision right away. 

I nod slowly. “Alright, I’ll do it.” 

Angie is grinning from ear to ear. She reaches over and wipes the tears off my cheeks with her thumb. “Dry your eyes, sweetie. I’ll handle your problem before the day is over. And don’t you worry your pretty little head about the details of our arrangement. I’ll be back with something tonight to help you understand most of what you’ll need to do.” 

I bite my lip and look down, nodding, and mumble a ‘thank you’. 

“Oh you’re very welcome, darling.” She replies in a sickeningly sweet tone. She steps away from the counter and heads for the door. Angie stops once she reaches it. “I’ll see you later; don’t go anywhere.” And with a wink, she opens the door and walks out to her car parked right out front. 

Around 7 I decide to close up the shop. I stayed open a little bit longer since Angie said she’d be back, but there’s been no sign of her. I turn the open sign over and lock the door. Just as I’m about to turn the lights off, I see a very familiar red convertible pulling up and parking. I unlock the door and wait for her to approach before I open it. She smiles at me and walks in like she owns the place. 

She stops near a chair and gestures to it. “Have a seat.” 

I walk over and sit down, her level of confidence never ceasing to amaze me. 

“Your issue with the town government. Completely taken care of; you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

I let out a sigh of relief. With that weight taken off my shoulders, I can focus on the next thing. 

“Now, as for our agreement. I drew up a contract a few hours ago. It’s very straightforward.” She hands me what I assume is the contract. It’s stapled together and pretty weighty. I flip to the last page to see that there are twelve total. “There’s a chart of all the public appearances you’ll need to make with me at events on page seven. A list of rules on page eight that continues onto the next page. I made copies of them for you to keep. You can take some time now to look over the rest if you’d like to, but you should get the general idea from simply skimming over it.” 

I nod and flip through slowly. I read the first page completely and come to find out that she seems to have been honest. It looks straightforward, nearly exactly what we talked about earlier today. One big difference I do spot however, I bring up.

“I have to move in with you for the whole duration of this?!” 

She rolls her eyes and stretches. “Oh come on now, it won’t be that terrible. Besides, we need to make this believable, and it also wouldn’t hurt to have you close by for most of the time. You can return to your apartment when the contract is up.” 

I huff and skim over the rest of it. Everything seems to be in order. “Where do I sign?”

A small smirk forms on her lips. “Initial at the top of each page, then there’s a place for you to print your name, sign, and date it on the last one.” 

I obey wordlessly then stand and hand it to her once I’m done. She hands me the copies of those pages of the contract she mentioned before and leans in to whisper in my ear, her breath tickling my neck, “The moving company will be here at 8 am tomorrow.” I just barely feel her lips brush against my ear before she steps back and leaves without another word. I’m left standing in the middle of the antique shop, dazed by what just transpired.


	5. Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've updated the tags since I've made the decision to add some md/lg content into this fic. I've never written anything like it before, so I'm just out here trying my best, guys. There will be minor hints at an md/lg relationship in this chapter, but there will definitely be more in future chapters. Hope you enjoy it!

I watch in disbelief as the movers drive off to Angie’s. This whole situation is so surreal. They didn’t take everything over there, but of course the essentials were packed. My apartment looks a little empty but not as bad as I expected. After all, I will be back at the end of 6 months.

Angie let me know that I didn’t have to be at her house till after I closed up the store later tonight. She said she’d pick me up around 7:30. With it being a Friday night, I may close up early so I can have some time to go out. I toy with the idea of hanging out with Carolyn, but it is quickly shoved aside. I don’t know how I’m going to explain all of this to her. I don’t want to. However, I don’t have much of a choice; six months is a long time to keep a secret like this. If it goes the way Angie wants it to, it’ll be the talk of the town. And then it hits. Yesterday’s newspaper. Carolyn might have seen it by now. She never reads it, but there’s a good chance she’d catch wind of that from someone else in her family. Sighing, I try to picture her reaction to the full story. I can’t imagine it’ll be good. She can’t stand Angie. I have no clue how I’m going to break the news to her, but I think I’m just going to wait until Carolyn contacts me first. She wouldn’t end our friendship over it, but she definitely will not be happy about it for a little while. 

I suppose I’ll find something to do on my own later. Maybe just go get some coffee and look over that list of rules. I’ll keep them stockpiled in my brain for whenever I feel like pissing Angie off. I guess I’ll listen most of the time to save my own skin, but there may be times when it’ll be necessary to shake things up. It’s not like she’ll be able to do much if I break a rule every so often. 

The rest of the day passes by quickly. The amount of customers the antique store had today is honestly record breaking. Around ten this morning, a steady stream of people flowed in until it started slowing down around five o’clock. It’s almost seven now, and I haven’t had a customer in some time so I think it would be best to close up now if I still want to go get coffee. 

Once everything is locked up, I walk down the sidewalk then cross the street over to the Espresso Express. It’s a cafe that’s been around here for as long as I can remember. It’s not too busy most of the time so I should get some peace and quiet there. 

Upon entering, my sense of smell is engulfed in the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee. A quick glance around the small space confirms that this was the right place for the task at hand. There’s only a few people; one woman sipping at her coffee while flipping through a magazine; diagonal from her, a man and a woman chatting at a table. And lastly, a barista working away at a machine that causes most of the noise in this establishment. I make my way up to the counter and order a coffee with cream and sugar. The whole time I’m telling the barista my order, he’s looking at me funny. 

“Aren’t you that girl who works at the antique store down the street?” He asks as soon as I’m finished giving him my order. 

My face brightens a bit. Not many people recognize me out in public, but it’s always nice when they do. “Yep, that’s me.”

He smiles and gets to work on the coffee. “I thought it was! I saw your picture in the paper yesterday and couldn’t believe it.” My smile falls slightly. “So what’s it like dating Angie?” He inquires with interest. 

I can feel my expression bordering on frowning so I fake a smile. “Oh it’s um, an adventure every day.” I fake a laugh to pair with the smile. “She’s very different the closer you get, everyone else only sees a little piece of who she really is…” I let the words hang in the air. They mean one thing to me, but with a friendly delivery those words hold promise of Angie being a more wonderful person than they already assume.

He nods. “She’s done a lot for this town. You’re lucky to have her. And from the sound of things, she’s lucky to have you too.” He finishes mixing the cream and sugar into the coffee then hands it to me. “It’s on the house.”

I give him a nod in thanks and make my way over to a table in the corner that’s as far away from the other customers as I can get. The warmth of the beverage in my hands is soothing. Looking out the window on my right, I can see the antique shop which remains completely undisturbed. I try to relax as an uneasy feeling washes over me. Taking a deep breath, I reach into my pocket and pull out the list of rules and appearances I’ll have to make. I unfold the two papers and smooth out the creases as best as I can. 

First up is a chart of all the events I need to attend. The dates are listed on the left with the names on the right. There’s not as many as I expected. There are a couple that catch my eye. One is an anniversary dinner for Angel Bay Seafood in October. The other is a benefit that will be held somewhere in New York in December. They both sound like very formal events, and I don’t have much experience in that area. Hopefully, I’ll be able to navigate it all by then. They’re all in the evening as well so they shouldn’t mess with my schedule too much. 

I spend a little while more familiarizing myself with the chart then set the paper face down on the table in front of me. I take a look at the next page. 

At the top of the page in bold black letters, it says ‘Simplified List of Katie’s Rules’. Under that is a short list of seven things. 

1\. You can only wear what I buy for you.  
2\. You cannot be out by yourself after 8 pm.  
3\. You must show some sort of pda while we’re out.   
4\. You will be reserved, pliant, and present at events. You will not leave my side.  
5\. I am in charge of your diet to ensure you stay healthy.   
6\. You will go out on a “date night” with me once a week.   
7\. You will be my little girl. 

At the bottom of the page, there’s one single sentence. ‘If you break any of these rules, it will result in punishment.’

I’m surprised by the contents of this list. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this. She might as well just have one rule: ‘I own your ass for the next six months.’ I have no idea what number seven is supposed to mean. I guess she’ll explain later. This is way too much for me to unpack and process right now so I just try to enjoy my coffee. 

As I sip at it, I try to imagine what it would be like to go on a date with Angie. I imagine it would be anything but boring. Living with her will be a whole other thing. I chose the right words when I was talking to the barista. ‘An adventure every day’. 

Moments later, I’m jerked out of my thoughts when I look out the window. Parked outside of the antique store is Angie’s car. I look around the coffee shop for a clock. Shit. I was supposed to be back a little over a half hour ago. It’s five minutes after eight. I leave as fast as I can without looking ridiculous. As I get closer to the store, I see that Angie isn’t in her car or anywhere outside. I slow down and try to think of an explanation for that but can’t come up with any sort of reasoning. Shaking my head, I go to unlock the door only to find it already unlocked. I hesitantly walk inside, worrying that someone might have broken in while I was gone. That fear goes out the window and is replaced with a new one as soon as I see Angie standing in the middle of the place. She looks at me with such frustration written all over her face. 

“Where have you been?” Her tone renders me silent, and I just hold my coffee up in response. She glances at it but doesn’t seem appeased. “I was a little late getting here since a meeting ran over. I expected that should’ve given you plenty of time to get ready to go, but not only are you extremely late. You’ve also already broken a rule.” 

I’m still at a loss for words, but I manage to utter a quiet “I’m sorry”. 

She seems done ranting at me, but the fire in her eyes still makes me pause before saying or doing anything else. 

“This is the first and last time you will receive a warning for breaking any of the rules I’ve given you. I don’t give second chances. Do you understand?” 

I nod in response then voice a question I’ve had since entering the store. “Uh, so how did you get in here?” 

She sighs and answers as if it’s the most obvious thing. “I had a copy of the key made. Now are you ready to go?” 

“Wha-” Her steely gaze makes me think better of saying anymore. I look around trying to think if I’m forgetting anything, but I think everything I need should already be at her house. “Yes.”

She smiles, the first I’ve seen this evening, “Great. Come on, let’s go before you manage to get into any more trouble, little one.” I lock up, and she leads the way to her car, opening and closing the door for me.


	6. The First Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way longer than usual lol, but I'm really proud of it. Hope you guys like it! To contact me or always be up to date on everything related to this fic, feel free to follow my tumblr- gracefulcrimson. I answer questions and post about Strange Love on there quite frequently. Have a great day :)

We come to a stop in front of a house that’s just as big, if not bigger, than the Collins’ mansion. I didn’t expect anything less from Angie, but seeing it up close is way different. One difference between her property and theirs is that she has a well kept gate all around. It’s obvious that she prefers to keep everyone at a distance. 

I wordlessly get out of the car and follow her inside, taking in all of the grandeur of the architecture. Upon entering, there is a grand staircase with delicately-detailed black railings. Everything else is mostly white with marble flooring as far as I can see. At first glance, it doesn’t reflect Angie’s personality at all. However, the overall perfectness of everything I see drowns me in a cold feeling. That’s when her style of choice starts to make sense. 

My thoughts get the better of me and I ask, “How do you live in a house like this by yourself?” The sheer size of it has left me in awe, but I wouldn’t want to be alone here all the time. 

“I enjoy my own company, and it’s rare that I allow anyone to disturb it,” she replies, grabbing my hand and leading me up the staircase. The subtle sway of her hips is so alluring that I force myself to look anywhere else before I get carried away. 

When we reach the top, she takes a right down a long hallway. It’s lined with several doors, all closed except for the one that appears around a slight curve. She lets go of my hand, and gestures to the chair sitting in front of a very regal looking wooden desk. “Have a seat. We have a few more things to discuss.”

I make my way over and sit down, assessing the room. It’s a little darker but has a touch of warmth. There’s a fireplace and two lounge chairs behind me; looking up, there’s a loft with half a dozen completely filled bookshelves. It’d be a dream of mine to have a room like this in the future. Reading has been a pastime of mine since I was very young. I grew up adoring the idea of living in a library. 

Angie takes a seat across from me behind the desk. “Any questions about the rules I’ve given you?” She calmly gets a cigarette out of one of the drawers in front of her then lights it. 

I immediately latch onto one. “Not a question, but I don’t want you in charge of my diet. If you see something concerning about it after a little while then fine. Until then, no.” 

She zeroes in on me with her piercing gaze. “I don’t compromise. And I sure as hell wasn’t asking what you wanted changed, Katie.” She takes a long drag from her cigarette then carries on. “Now, any actual questions?” 

Nerves overtake my ability to dive right into the main concern so I look around for anything else to talk about. Something that will be neutral ground. This house. I’ve been wondering about it from the moment I stepped inside. “This place...it um, reminds me of Collinwood except... brighter and more modern looking… Was it the original inspiration?”

The look on her face is slightly proud. A small smile appears and she replies, “I had seen the interior a few times here and there. I always liked it, but I felt it could be improved upon. That’s where I got the ideas for the interior of this house.” There’s a pause as she appears to reminisce over the memory. She slowly comes back from it and levels her gaze at me. “That was a wonderful attempt at a distraction, my love, but do you have any questions about the rules?” 

I sigh frustratedly and procure my own copy of the list from my pocket. I glance over it then settle on the last one. “Number 7.” I slide the list toward her. “What is that supposed to mean?” 

She looks down at it for a brief second then smiles. “Good. Now we can get onto the second part of this meeting. Do you know what a dominant and submissive are?” I nod. “In this relationship, you will be the submissive. I will be the dominant. I’ll take on an almost parental role as your mommy domme. In return, I want you to need me, obey me, and be my little girl.” She emphasizes those last words by gently sliding the paper back toward me. 

An incredulous scoff escapes my lips before I can think better of it. “You want me to call you mommy? I’m not doing that.” I sit back in my chair and cross my arms. 

“Of course you will, sweetie.” She takes a shallow drag from her cigarette. “It’ll take some time, but you’ll get there eventually.” 

I let out a sarcastic laugh then say, “We’ll see.” I look at the one sentence below the list. “So if I don’t follow your rules, I’ll get punished? What are you gonna do?” 

Angie smirks and puts her cigarette out then sets it down in the ashtray. Wordlessly, she gets up from where she’s seated and makes her way over to me. She pauses once she’s directly behind me, and I feel her hands come to rest on my shoulders. “I’m sure you’ll find out. Such a brat, you’ve already used up your warning. I give it… a few days at best.” Her grip tightens. “I’m looking forward to putting you in your place.” Her words and firm touch send a rush of heat through me that moves further and further down. Everything comes to a halt when she lets go. “Now that we have all of that covered...follow me.”

I shakily stand and walk after her. She leads me back down the hall and to the left of the staircase. At the end of this hallway, there’s an open door to what looks like a bedroom. She walks inside and I follow. This room matches the rest of the house except for the dark wood that contrasts. There is a very elegant feeling brought to the room by the small chandelier, fireplace, full length mirror in the corner, and a detailed canopy bed.

“And one last thing. You have to sleep with me.” Between how quick that addition was and the state my mind is in right now, I look at her in shock. A blush rises in my cheeks and I stutter out, “What?” 

A smirk appears on her face. “Oh, darling, not like that.” There’s a short pause where she tucks a strand of hair behind my ear then adds, “Unless you’d like that.” Angie steps back and winks before I can even process that conversation. Everything she does is so smooth and quick; I can never quite get my bearings around her. 

“This is the bathroom,” She says, walking over to a room that’s just to the left of the fireplace. It’s about half the size of the bedroom. The tub in the corner is surrounded by windows. When I take a closer look, I realize that it’s overlooking the bay. This must be absolutely gorgeous during the daytime.

“And over here is the closet. My things are on the left, and yours are on the right.” ‘Closet’ is a very modest way of putting it since it’s about the same size as the bathroom. I can definitely tell Angie’s side from my own just with a glance. Hers is filled with mostly black, white, red, and hints of grey and purple. Mine is a lot more colorful and playful looking. 

After a brief second of thought, I walk over and check the size on a dress. It’s exactly right. A six. I check a shirt and pair of pants. Both the right size as well. I turn to her with a curious look, “How did you know what sizes to buy?” 

She smiles and rolls her eyes. “Full of so many questions, aren’t we?” With that, she walks back toward the bedroom. 

I sigh in frustration and follow her. “I’m not sleeping in the same bed as you.” 

“Alright, go ahead and pick a couch then, dear.” 

“I’m sure there’s a guest bedroom or two around here somewhere.” 

She laughs at this. “I was right in expecting you to make this more difficult than it needs to be. Now, I’ve set out your pajamas on some hangers behind the closet door. I need to work on something in my office; I’ll be in bed sometime later tonight.” Angie walks away and stops in the doorway to add, “Take a look around if you want, but I’ve locked all of the other bedroom doors. It’s your call.” She shrugs and walks out. 

‘We’ll see about that,’ I think, making my way back to the closet. I close the door slightly to take a look at these pajamas she’s mentioned. My breath catches in my throat. You’ve got to be joking. It’s a silky baby pink set, complete with a camisole and shorts. If you can even call them shorts; they definitely don’t leave much to the imagination. There’s no way I’m sleeping in her bedroom. 

I grab the set along with a pair of panties I found in the underwear drawer on my side then head into the bathroom. With one last lingering look at the tub, I settle for the shower. I close the bathroom door then step in. Once I figure out how to turn it on and change the temperature, I shower as quickly as possible. As I rinse the conditioner out of my hair, I try to imagine how nice it’ll be once these six months are over. There’s a slight pang of another feeling. Almost disappointment, but I push it away, not understanding why I’d feel anything but happy about it. A life free from Angie should be something to celebrate from what I’ve experienced so far. She’s confusing; all over the place. I can never quite catch up fast enough to figure her out. Once I think I’ve finally seen right through her, she changes up the game. She’s truly an enigma, but some are best left alone. There’s no telling what sort of danger lies beneath the surface. 

Finished up with my shower, I turn off the water and step out. Once I’m toweled off, I get dressed in the pajama set. One look in the mirror accompanied with a turn lets me know that I was right about the shorts. They just barely cover my ass. With a roll of my eyes and a renewed sense of frustration, I quickly brush my teeth and head out of the bathroom and bedroom. Only stopping for a second to grab a blanket off the back of a chair before leaving the room. I make my way down the hall and stop at the top of the staircase, looking down the opposite hall, wondering if I should attempt going in that direction to look for some sort of sitting room. I decide against it as Angie is in her office at the moment. 

I pad down the stairs as swiftly and quietly as possible. After searching for a few moments, I come across a small room that’s just down another flight of stairs. I can’t see much since there’s only one lamp on near a window, but it’s enough to see the outline of a couch, fireplace, and some chairs. It looks good enough to me. 

I lie down on the couch, throwing the blanket over the top of me and getting comfortable. Within moments of closing my eyes, I’m out like a light. 

Some time has passed by the time I wake up. I’m in and out of sleep, completely exhausted from the day. I faintly realize that I don’t feel the couch underneath me anymore. Instead, I feel hands under my back and the bend in my knees. My head lolls to the side and comes to rest against something soft. The sweet scent of a familiar perfume comforts me, and I curl into the figure. I let out a small moan of contentment, and whine a little when I’m placed down on something cold but equally soft. Something small and fuzzy is placed in my arms then sheets and a blanket are tucked around me carefully. I open my eyes slightly and am met with an unusual gaze. Angie’s blue eyes are gentle, almost kind. I close my own, feeling like I’ve been caught looking at something I shouldn’t. I feel her lips on my forehead; then she whispers, “Goodnight, little one.” 

I curl up with whatever was placed in my arms. After feeling a dip in the bed next to me and hearing the rustling of sheets, consciousness gives way to my dreams.


	7. Disobedience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhhh...so...my too much gene may have taken over a little toward the end of this chapter. Enjoy.

Upon waking, I don’t recognize my surroundings right away. Then suddenly, everything from late last night comes rushing back to me. Snippets of being carried upstairs and being put in bed by Angie come to mind. I look down, and in my arms is a teddy bear with beige fur and a red bow tied around its neck. I’ve always loved stuffed animals. I still have quite a few in my apartment from when I was younger. Even throughout my late teen years, I couldn’t part with them. I hug it close to me one last time before gently setting it to the side and pushing the covers off. 

Making my way to the bathroom, I rub my eyes in exhaustion and frown. I really can’t stand the fact that Angie moved me last night against my will. It wasn’t as bad as I thought, but the principle of it still bugs me. 

After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I head over to the closet to pick out an outfit for today. I grab a pair of dark jeans then look through some shirts. I settle on a comfy-looking blue v-neck top then select a pair of shoes. With that, I get dressed and pull my hair up into a messy bun. 

When I get done with that, I walk out of the bedroom into the hall. I try a couple of the closed doors and find them locked just like she said. Well at least now I know she’s not one for bluffing. With a roll of my eyes, I walk down the stairs and wander toward the only bit of noise in the house. The source of it is coming from the kitchen. Walking past the small kitchen table, I almost cock my head to the side in confusion. 

Angie has her back to me, but I can clearly see her making coffee. This small display of domesticity is enough to capture my attention since I’m sure it’s quite rare. I take a seat at the kitchen island and watch her with interest. She’s already dressed for work. Her blonde hair is in soft waves, reminiscent of an old Hollywood star. She’s wearing a suit. Pants, not a skirt. Almost every time I’ve seen her, that’s been the case. I suppose it’s a preference of hers. She’s always wearing heels, but I push myself up on the chair to check to see if I’m right anyway. Sure enough, I am. I don’t know how she does it every day, but she definitely has no trouble pulling it off. 

She turns around too soon, and I’m caught openly staring at her. She pauses for a split second, and her lips quirk up into a self-satisfied smile. I blush and adjust the way I’m sitting, trying to pretend like I wasn’t just blatantly checking her out. Technically, I wasn’t- just observing. But it certainly looked like something else to her. I wring my hands in my lap out of her line of sight, a habit I’ve formed over time to hide my nerves from others. 

“Well good morning to you too,” she says as she places a mug in front of me. I look down at the contents of it excitedly, thinking that at least a good cup of coffee will come out of this awkward encounter. But something about it looks off. I take a sip and slightly frown. By the look of it, I expected the bitter taste of coffee with a dash of cream; not the sweet taste of chocolate. 

“I don’t usually drink hot chocolate in the morning.”

“You do now. Little girls can’t have coffee.” Angie says it so plainly as she reaches across the counter and taps the tip of my nose with her slender finger, like I should’ve known this was coming all along. 

I just stare at her for a moment then slowly avert my gaze back down to the mug, mumbling, “You’ve got to be kidding.” 

“I’m not,” Angie snaps. “And I would watch your attitude if I were you.” 

My face flushes at the sound of her stern tone. I say nothing more and begin to sip the hot chocolate. 

“I have to leave for work soon. Can’t leave my employees alone for too long, or else they’ll set us back a day,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “Make sure to have breakfast,” Angie glances down at her watch. “I’ll need to do a few things first, but I’ll be waiting in the car at eight thirty to take you to the antique shop.” 

After laying out all of that information, she briskly walks out of the room. 

I take the remainder of the drive to the shop to observe Angie. She always has one hand on the steering wheel, completely at ease but also somehow poised. It’s plain to see that over the course of her life, she’s somehow obtained a level of confidence that’s honestly scary. I would pay to see her caught off guard for once. 

Her nails are perfectly manicured with crimson polish. Her red lipstick stands out in a stark contrast to her fair complexion. Everything about her appearance is as close to perfection as a human can get. I wonder how much effort she’s put into it. 

When she comes to a stop in front of the store, she says, “You know the rules. Be back by eight tonight.” 

I nod. “I will.” 

I’m given a look of what seems like satisfaction, and I take that as permission to get out and open up for the day. 

Around quarter to six, the door bursts open abruptly and is shut in the same manner. Carolyn storms over to the counter then stops. It’s too quiet all of the sudden and then…

“What the fuck is this?” Carolyn asks angrily, slamming a newspaper down in front of me. 

I just take a glance at it, already knowing what she’s talking about. I quickly come up with a starter response to create the lie I’ll have to tell her and everyone else I’m close to. I shrug slightly. “We just kinda hit it off that night she took me home.” Her expression is far from pleasant so I try to joke with her, “I guess I have you to thank for that.” 

She lightens up a little but still seems suspicious. “I didn’t think she’d be your type. Unless bitch is your type.” 

I laugh and put on my most convincing smile. “She’s not that bad. Angie has her moments, but she’s actually pretty nice when you get to know her.” 

She huffs, “Yeah right. What do you two even have in common to talk about?” 

“Books. Some music. Things like that. We just enjoy each other’s company.” 

Carolyn makes a face. “How much do you enjoy each other’s company?” 

I blush. “We’re not that close yet. It hasn’t been that long.” 

“Oh okay,” She says in a tone that conveys she doesn’t believe that one bit. “So how about a girl’s night in, Mrs. Bouchard?” 

My face flushes an even deeper shade of red at the different usage of Angie’s last name. “I’m sorry, Carolyn, but I can’t tonight.” 

“Oh come on. Yes you can. It’s a Saturday night. You have nothing to do tomorrow.” 

“I know, but I really shouldn’t.” 

“It’s settled. You’re coming over. You need to relax. I’ve got lots of red wine at home…” She adds, trying to entice me. 

It works. “Fine.” 

I really shouldn’t have said yes. As I get down to a quarter of a bottle of the wine I’ve been drinking for the past few hours, I think over my decision. I’m definitely tipsy. If I drink anymore, there’s a chance I’ll end up going home drunk tonight. I’m not sure I’ll be able to hide it from Angie since she’s so observant. But I also don’t find myself caring all too much. 

The bitterness of the wine was nearly too much at first, but as the night went on it got better. Carolyn put on Aerosmith’s Toys in the Attic album a little bit ago, and we’re both relaxing on her bed flipping through some magazines. 

As the last song begins to play, I look over at the only clock in the room. It’s midnight. I didn’t mean to stay this long. Angie’s going to be pissed. I quickly come up with a lie of why I need to get home right now and tell Carolyn. She looks a little disappointed but walks me downstairs to the front door without much of a fuss. 

It takes me about 20 minutes to walk to Angie’s house. It’s not bad, but I definitely should’ve been back a long time ago. Quietly making my way inside, I tiptoe up the stairs and into her bedroom. The room is completely blanketed in darkness except for the light coming in through the window. I see a slender form under the covers on the bed, facing away from me. 

I make my way over to the bathroom and shut the door behind me softly. I get to work removing my makeup then follow it with the rest of my night routine. 

Once I’m done and dressed in my pajamas, I take a deep breath and quietly walk out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. Carefully walking to the bedroom door, I freeze when Angie says my name. She says it with no emotion in her voice, almost making me wonder why she even said it at all. 

“Am I in trouble?” I squeak out. Her seemingly calm demeanor is somehow more frightening than her anger. 

“Legally.” She replies in that same tone. She sits up and turns the bedside lamp on, swinging her legs over the side of the mattress. I stand awkwardly in front of the door, not knowing if I should say something or just leave. Her gaze is heated and tinged with rage. It travels slowly, meticulously up my body. “Come here, Kathryn.” I swallow hard and hesitantly walk up to where she’s seated on the edge of the bed. “Sit.” She slides over a tiny bit, letting me know she wants me beside her. I comply. Angie grabs hold of me and positions me so that I’m on my hands and knees over her lap. “You’ll start with ten.” Before I can ask her what she’s talking about, she’s already pulled my pajama bottoms off and tossed them onto the floor. 

I feel her hand lightly glide up the back of my thigh, almost reverently. Her touch silences me. Then suddenly it’s gone. When it returns, it’s accompanied by a sharp painful sensation. I gasp. I’m only just beginning to process what Angie did once she delivers another blow. I think I can handle it, but as the number gets higher and higher, I find myself trying to move away from her. She grabs my hips and pulls me back into place. 

“Just two more, baby girl. After that, I’ll give you a way out of this if you’re good,” she says in a sickeningly sweet tone.

Once she reaches the tenth, I don’t know what I’ll do. I don’t think I can keep quiet or hide how much this is actually affecting me if she does any more.

“Now, if you want me to stop, all you have to do is follow the rules and address me the way you’re supposed to. I’m going to do another ten until you do.” She pauses for a moment, giving me a chance to obey her before she begins. There’s no way I’m doing that. She clicks her tongue in disapproval and runs her hand over sensitive flesh. I wince slightly; it’s starting to sting. “Poor thing. You’ll be lucky if you can sit down tomorrow.” 

Angie spanks me even harder than all those other times before. I hang my head and try to breathe through the pain. “Still so quiet. You know what you have to do to get me to stop.” 

The next two come in quick succession. I’m rapidly losing my will to fight, and the second the fourteenth one hits, I cry out, “Mommy, please!” The voice that utters this is not one I recognize, pleading with her helplessly, but it was a knee-jerk reaction. 

I can hear the smile in her voice as she says, “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” I don’t reply. “If you break the rules again, you can beg and plead all you want, but I won’t stop until I think you’ve had enough. Do you understand?” I nod. “Good girl.” Angie purrs as she releases me from her grasp. I move off of her lap and onto the other side of the bed. She pulls the covers back for the both of us. I quickly get under them, avoiding any sort of eye contact with her. She smirks and does the same. I close my eyes, hoping she’ll just let me sleep now. I’ve already been thoroughly embarrassed. 

Just when I thought it was over, Angie pulls me closer to her. Lying on my back, I keep my eyes closed. She runs her hand through my chestnut brown hair then places a kiss on my forehead. While those touches might be innocent, the next one isn’t. 

Her hand comes to rest on my thigh underneath the covers and begins to climb higher and higher, slowly tracing patterns there. Against my better judgment, I part my legs ever so slightly. Angie stops her tracing and rests her hand there for a little. I squirm under her touch just barely, but it’s noticeable enough. She chuckles and feels where I need her most. I let out a soft whimper. It’s a complete tease since she’s touching over my panties. Angie nearly purrs in satisfaction, “What a naughty little girl… I’ll have to remember just how wet you’ve gotten from being punished. For future reference.” 

She comes to an abrupt stop and reaches over to grab the teddy bear on my side of the bed and hands it to me. “Time for bed, darling.” 

I take a deep, shaky breath to try to relax after all of that then lay on my side, facing away from her. I hug the teddy bear close to me, feeling comforted by the soft, cuddliness of it. Shortly after, I drift off to sleep with Angie’s arm draped over the side of my waist.


	8. Dinner And A Show

Waking up is a little harder since I stayed out late last night. When I do, it’s only because Angie is gently rubbing my shoulder. The gentleness of her touch doesn’t match the apathy in her voice as she says, “Wake up, dear. It’s ten o’clock.”

I stretch and blink up at her, the sunlight streaming in through the window far too bright. She lingers for a moment before standing from where she was seated at the side of the bed. “Breakfast is downstairs. I’ve hung up the outfit I want you to wear to dinner tonight on the back of the closet door. We’ll be leaving at five.” I sit up, waiting for her to say more, but instead she simply exits the room. That’s weird. She’s so cold compared to last night.

Last night… I mull over the memories of it all. A blush begins to creep up my chest and rises to my face, the blanket on top of me suddenly becoming stifling. I can’t believe I let myself do that; I was basically putty in her hands. She could’ve had me right then and there...and I probably would have let her. Shaking my head, I get out of bed and get dressed. I’m probably overthinking this. There’s no way she actually wants me. Angie gets off on fucking with people’s heads, especially if the end result is them doing her bidding. Mind games are her specialty. 

I decide to stay in my pajamas, just throwing a sweater on. I’ll just have to get changed again later so there’s really no point. 

Once I’ve arrived in the kitchen, I take a look at the plate of food she has set out for me. Eggs, bacon, and a bowl of fruit, accompanied by the usual hot chocolate and a glass of water. I’m certainly not complaining. It’s pretty nice to have someone make breakfast for you for no reason. 

When I’m finished eating, I hand wash the dishes and set them out on the rack next to the sink to dry. Next, I check the time. 11:30. What on earth am I going to do till 5? I suppose I could start reading this one book I’ve been putting off for a while. 

I make my way upstairs to the bedroom and grab the novel then set out on a quest to find the perfect place to hide away and read. Eventually, I find myself in front of Angie’s open office door. I poke my head inside to see if she’s in here but find it empty. Honestly, this seems like a great place to relax so long as she doesn’t walk in and disturb the peaceful atmosphere. I walk in and plop myself down in one of the chairs facing the fireplace. I open up the book, feeling the slight resistance of a hardcover that has never been opened before and smile to myself. It feels like I haven’t done this in forever; just sat in complete silence and read to my heart’s content. 

I start off the first sentence invigorated to see where this story will take me. However, I only make it halfway down the page when I realize that I’ve started thinking about Angie again. Little things, like the way she smirks at me. No trace of innocence, like she knows something I don’t. Or the way her arm encircled my waist and pulled me to her when I stepped out of that funhouse a little over a week ago. That touch, much like the way she grabbed my hips last night, leads my mind down dark, treacherous paths. I can just imagine her hands on my hips once again in a not entirely different situation. I can almost feel her breath on my neck, lips and tongue following suit. 

I huff in annoyance. I can’t ever get a break from her. No matter what I do, she’s always there in one way or another. I need to fix this now before it inevitably gets worse. If I don’t, there’s a good chance I’ll end up snapping at Angie tonight. Usually if I go too long without relieving my frustration, I get irritable and become very tightly wound. And that’s under normal circumstances. 

Getting up from the chair, I walk to the door and shut it quietly before turning the lock. I sit down again, laying my book on the table in between the chairs. I take a deep breath and lean back against the soft cushion. Slipping my hand under the waistband of my pajama bottoms, I get right down to the matter. I hate to be so clinical about it, but the sooner I fix this, the sooner I’ll get Angie off my mind. Upon contact, I find myself in the exact same state I must’ve been in last night. Her response rings in my ears as I begin to touch myself the way I wished she would have. The room feels like it’s getting hotter. My breath catches in my throat as I picture her head between my thighs. How those cold blue eyes would heat up with intent to make me want to comply. 

Thoughts like those make me wonder if I’ll be able to endure my time with her without incident. I’ve never met someone who’s made me feel this out of control before. It’s alarming, but part of me wants to welcome it with open arms. It’s like my body goes on without my permission, making her into a necessity that I crave. The good sense I still have left tells me to run far away from her, knowing but not wanting to admit that eventually it’ll become too much. There are certain feelings that I cannot let myself acknowledge but they’re still there, just waiting for the moment I inevitably slip up. 

None of it makes any sense. It’s much like someone getting closer and closer to a fire even though they know they’ll get burned. Apathy in the face of danger isn’t the wisest. I know if I give in at all, she’ll take that and I’ll be caught. I don’t want to know what would happen after that. 

So I focus on the fantasy aspect for the greater good at this moment. I’m about to reach my peak when I think of her tongue and teeth on my breasts. As the friction increases, I nearly forget how to breathe. 

“What a stunning sight…” 

I immediately stop what I’m doing and straighten up, turning my head to the source of the voice. My heart is beating rapidly, adrenaline already coursing through my veins. 

Angie stands in the loft, leaning against the railing peering down at me. The shit eating grin on her face tells me everything I need to know. She was watching me the whole time. 

“By all means, continue,” she says, making a vague gesture with her hand. “And make yourself more comfortable. I wouldn’t mind a little show.” 

I stare up at her in disbelief, wanting to say something smart or tell her off, but nothing comes to mind. 

“Or maybe you need a little help…” Angie says, turning and beginning to descend the stairs. 

Panic flips a switch in me and gets me functioning again. I get up and bolt out of the room, hearing her laugh ring out. I go to the bedroom and lock myself in. I’ll just take a bath and nap till dinner. 

As I sink into the warm bathwater, I feel all the tension in my muscles fade away. I inhale then release the air from my lungs slowly. Frustration sets in once again since I was rudely interrupted before. However, thinking of that initial feeling I got when she made her presence known, pushes off the urge to do anything about it. 

Our date later will definitely be something. 

Looking in the mirror, I’m shocked to see that the dress Angie set out for me is quite modest. The sweetheart neckline just shows a little bit of cleavage and the hem touches just above my knee.

I put my hair up in a ponytail, brush my teeth and apply a berry pink lipstick to match the floral print on my dress. With one last look in the mirror, I head downstairs and out to the car. 

I look up from my menu when an older woman approaches the table.

“Good evening, Miss Bouchard. What will you be having tonight?”

Angie looks up from her menu at me and smirks as she sets it to the side, toward our waitress. “I don’t know. What will it be, Katie?”

I glance back down at the menu in my hands, brow furrowing in confusion before dismissing it with a slight shake of my head. “Uh, the eight ounce New York strip with a side of... mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables.”

I look over to Angie and she smiles, “Good choice.” I find myself smiling back at that small expression of praise and hand my menu to the waitress.

“That is a good choice. The New York strip is very flavorful.” The waitress turns her attention to me again. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you around here before. I’d remember a pretty face like yours. Are you Miss Bouchard’s niece?” Those words would sound a little flirtatious coming from anyone else, but this woman exudes a chipper, caring feeling that borders on motherly. 

“You have one thing right there. She is gorgeous. But she’s my girlfriend, not my niece.” Angie answers for me with a laugh. 

The woman’s face flushes bright red and she replies, “My mistake. Let me know if either of you need anything. I’ll go put your orders in. They’ll be out shortly.”

I blush in complete embarrassment but manage to find one smartass thing to say to her. “So much for good publicity. Did you not consider the age gap?” 

But I’m still no match for her when she fires back with, “Oh you have no idea how much consideration I put into that.” Her smirk renders me silent. 

The initial moments after that exchange aren't easy. Why would it be? Why would anything involving Angie ever be easy? We were sitting in silence for a few minutes at the beginning. I was looking out the window, minding my own business when she lightly brushed her foot against my calf. “You seem a little absentminded. I hope you finished what you were doing before you ran from me earlier,” she chuckles to herself. “I didn’t know you could be so shy.” 

I roll my eyes and sigh, before annoyedly saying, “Leave me alone, Angie.”

Her patience wears out and she replies, “Fine, you want to be serious. Let’s be serious. Who were you out drinking with last night?” 

I glare at her. “Carolyn.” My expression changes to confusion. “How did you know I was drinking?” 

It’s her turn to roll her eyes at me. She sits back and crosses her arms. “Oh please, I could smell the alcohol on your breath. You were also very compliant for once.” 

I break eye contact with her and don’t reply. 

“I don’t like you spending so much time with Carolyn. She’s a Collins.”

“So what?” I ask, venom in my tone. 

“You don’t know half of what that family has done. I’m trying to protect you.”

My tone softens a bit. “What are you talking about?” 

Angie shakes her head, “I won’t be the one to tarnish the image you have of your friend. Besides, I think she sees you as more than a friend. I’d be careful there. Wouldn’t want to get wrapped up in all that family drama.” 

I laugh incredulously. “She does not.”

Angie’s gaze makes me pause. “I see things that you don’t, Katie. I know for a fact that she does.”

I don’t have a chance to say anything else because our food arrives. As our waitress places the plates in front of us, Angie comments, “My girl has good taste.” I force a small smile, feeling slightly out of it after all that. 

I begin to nibble on the vegetables a little, taking what we just talked about into consideration. The rest of the meal flies by since my mind is so far away. Angie makes some small talk, but I barely answer her. 

We get the check and she pays, my mind still in a fog. Could Carolyn actually have feelings for me? And what of that stuff about her family? Angie seemed pretty genuine when she said that she was just trying to protect me from it. I watch her as she signs the receipt, not noticing or perhaps, not caring that my eyes are on her. 

My last thought before we get up from the table is, ‘Maybe Angie isn’t all bad…’

As we walk out of the restaurant, I remember one of the rules on the contract. At least one show of PDA while we’re out. I walk closer to her and reach out to gently nudge her hand. She responds immediately and holds my hand. I interlace my fingers with hers with an ease that’s unsettling. There’s a sense of safety being so close to her right now, and I don’t know how to explain it.

The glances and smiles from other people we pass by let me know that I’ve made the right move. While I’m taking in their reactions, Angie whispers in my ear, “We should do this more often.”


	9. You Don't Own Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long time in between updating; I had some writers block for a while, but I think it's mostly gone now. This chapter also took a lot longer to write since it's about a thousand words more than my other chapters. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

The next several days go by in a mundane haze. Wake up, go to work, come home, deal with whatever Angie has to say. It’s evenly balanced between smartass comments and babying me. In the morning, she still makes breakfast and the hot chocolate I’ve come to actually look forward to. Things haven’t been as bad as I expected them to be. But then again, she works Monday through Friday and most of Saturday. There’s not much time for her to cause any bullshit. Today’s Friday, so that means I get one more day of reprieve before her day off. 

Carolyn’s only called me once this week, which is really unlike her. I can’t remember the last time she’s been this quiet with me. I wonder if she’s upset with me. I can’t think of any good reason why she would be, but I have no further explanation for why she hasn’t called more or come by.

There’s been so much change in my life in such a short time. I’m relieved when I remember that Jim and Edith should be back sometime Monday night. I’ve explained to them some of the major changes that have taken place while they’ve been away over the phone. Their reactions were a lot calmer than I expected, but there was something in Edith’s voice, almost hesitant, when she said, “Well we’re glad you’ve found someone, dear.” I couldn’t place her tone, but I’ve thought about it quite a bit since. Everything’s been so strange since they’ve been away on their trip. Everything feels off. I’ll be glad to have some sense of normalcy when they get back. It’s beginning to feel like I’m living a life that’s not my own. 

In just a few hours, Angie and I will be leaving to attend the reopening of the town hall. It’s been under construction for nearly a year now, and they’re having a celebration tonight for the public. 

I’ve already gotten changed into the outfit she left out for me. A simple, black fit and flare dress that stops just at the top of my knee. The round neck and cap sleeves make it perfect for a single accent necklace. To make things even better, Angie set out the most comfortable flats to go with it. 

Content with how the day’s gone so far, I sit down on the couch in the main room downstairs to read. I grab my teddy bear whom I’ve named Boo Boo and give him one big hug before setting him down right beside me. As I read on, I become more and more drowsy. Eventually, I find myself leaning to the side against the pillow before finally drifting off to sleep. 

I awaken to Angie saying softly, “Come on, little one, wake up. It’s time to go.” 

I whine then mumble, “I don’t wanna go. I’m sleepy.” Blinking up at Angie, I just barely catch her rolling her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. 

“That’s just too bad. Tonight’s the night I finally get to show my baby off to everyone. Can’t skip out on that.” She says, gently running her fingers through my hair.

“I can. Just show them some pictures. I’m busy.” I say, snuggling up again. 

“Darling, I mean it; time to go. Don’t make me say it again.” Angie replies with a glance of warning thrown in my direction. “I’ll meet you out in the car. You have five minutes.” 

I sit up once she leaves and sigh. Looking over at the smiling teddy bear next to me, I say, “You have no idea what it’s like dealing with that all the time, Boo Boo.” 

After putting my little fuzzy friend back on the bed upstairs and a quick trip to the bathroom to freshen up, I walk out to the car. When I get in, Angie smiles at me and strokes my cheek, “Good girl. Right on time.” I bite my lip and look down at the floorboard to hide my own smile. The little bits of praise here and there really get me, and I definitely do not want her to know that. My nightmare is losing what little control I have and becoming wrapped around her finger.

The closer we get to the town hall, the more crowded it gets. With Collinsport being so small, when there’s any sort of public event, people turn out. Something to break up the monotony of everyday routines.

When we walk in, I’m shocked to see how different it is inside. They added onto the building, so it’s a lot bigger than it used to be. Looking around, there is certainly no shortage of people to fill the large space. It’s making me a little claustrophobic, but I push through it to satisfy Angie. 

She introduces me to several people who hold some sort of high position in the town. The names, faces, and occupations all blend together in one big blur. Between my nerves and lack of a good memory, most of it is lost to me the moment she moves onto the next person. 

One thing I can focus on is the ever present feel of her hand on my lower back. Or, when it’s not there, on my arm or holding my hand. She moves me from place to place, chatting with various people to maintain her status; all the while, showing me off to every one of them like a child with a shiny, brand new toy. 

The more this goes on, the smaller and more crowded the room seems to get. My breathing quickens and my heart starts to race as everything starts to feel like it’s closing in on me. Angie’s perfume is far too strong as she stands way too close to me. When she whispers something in my ear about the person who she just got finished talking to, I simply nod, not hearing any of it. 

I excuse myself to go find the bathroom, needing at least a moment of escape to calm down and clear my head. 

I walk out of the big main room and down a hallway; the further I go, the less crowded it gets. I mindlessly observe the new architecture, not particularly interested in it but needing something to distract my wandering panicked thoughts. Instead of getting rid of them completely, I find myself thinking through all of them in a zombie-like state. 

I’m just a glorified doll for Angie to play with and show off. Every day is a game of dress up and house. Thinking ahead to how much more time of this I have left, I begin to tear up. In frustration. Defeat. And Confusion. Why me? 

And more than that, how can she possibly live with herself knowing she’s doing this to someone? Does she have any human emotion at all? If she does, I haven’t seen it. She’s so possessive that it would shock me if I meant anything to her at all. 

As I’m lost far away in my own head, a voice from behind me calls my name. I turn to meet a familiar face. I can’t place him, but I’ve definitely seen him before. 

“Do you remember me? I get it if you don’t. I only saw you for a few minutes last time.” The young man says, laughing to lighten the mood.

Suddenly it clicks. This is the guy from the coffee shop. I met him last week. “Oh yeah, I remember you. I don’t think I caught your name last time though…”

He nods. “Good enough. I’m Andrew.”

I smile. “Nice to formally meet you, Andrew.”

“Nice to meet you too.” He laughs again. He has a slightly goofy demeanor, but I don’t have any problem with it. It’s refreshing after being around someone as perfect as Angie all the time. 

“I usually never come to stuff like this, but I figured I’d check it out. It’s not like I had anything better to do anyway.” Andrew shrugs, a passive but pleasant look on his face. 

“Yeah, me neither. Angie just wanted to introduce me to some friends of hers.” I reply.

A touch of playful sarcasm leaks into his tone, “She has friends? I don’t mean that in a rude way, but like...I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard of her doing something that wasn’t work related.” 

I laugh openly at his initial question. It seems like he didn’t think before speaking there, but I don’t mind. “No, you’re right there. She’s a total workaholic.” 

“How’d you two meet then?” He asks curiously. 

I pause, trying to come up with a cleaned up, plausible story.

“I was out one night walking home from a restaurant, and she offered me a ride. We talked the whole way back to my apartment, and the rest is history.” I punctuate the sentence with a forced smile. 

He smiled back. “I guess so.” 

We fell into an awkward silence, the both of us just casually looking around the room. 

I must’ve looked a little off, because Andrew randomly asks, “Do you want to go outside and get some fresh air? I’ve been in here way too long.” 

I jump at the opportunity and nod. “Yeah, that sounds great right about now.” 

We both make our way back into the main room and I’m instantly overwhelmed by the sea of people. I look around the room, on high alert for any sign of Angie. We get about halfway to the front entrance when I spot her across the room. She’s laughing and speaking with a couple that’s around her age. Before I can feel any sort of relief, she glances across the room in my direction almost as if she knows exactly where to find me. For once, I see a flash of shock on her face. She quickly masks her expression and excuses herself from the conversation, making a beeline for me. The look on her face is enough to get me moving again. 

I grab Andrew’s hand and say, “Follow me, I think I can get us out of this mess a little faster.” 

Before he can get a chance to reply or even react, I’m weaving our way in and out of clusters of people. I don’t make a direct dash for the entrance, but instead try to lose Angie first so she doesn’t just follow us out. 

Once I’ve done enough maneuvering around the crowd, I glance around quickly to see if I can spot her anywhere. I see her on the opposite side of the room, facing away from us, heading down a hallway. 

I don’t stop then even though it looks like I fooled her. Now I head toward the front and out the door. I breathe a sigh of relief as the cool night air hits me. I slow my pace to a leisurely stroll as Andrew begins to walk beside me. 

“Your hand’s pretty cold. You sure you wanna be out here?” He asks, concern lacing his voice. 

I look down, remembering that I must still be holding his hand. Letting go as if I was touching a hot stove might be considered a little insulting so I laugh it off and say, “Yeah, sorry. I was getting claustrophobic in there. My hands get cold whenever I’m panicky feeling.” 

“You’re all good. Just don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” 

I smile in a silent thanks to him for being so considerate. The conversation begins to flow after that. We make small talk, but it doesn’t feel the least bit insignificant at all. Andrew seems like such a kind, genuine person. I lose track of time, purely enjoying this moment with someone I barely know. It’s refreshing to talk to a person and be able to fully relax and let my guard down. 

All of it comes to an abrupt halt when an arm snakes around my waist possessively. Before I look, I already know who it is. 

“I don’t think we’ve met before. Are you a friend of Katie’s?” Angie asks with a fake chipper tone. 

Andrew becomes noticeably nervous and replies, “We actually just met not too long ago. I work at the coffee shop in town. My name’s Andrew.” Under any other circumstance, I would find his anxious babbling endearing, but I’m too worried for him right now. 

My gaze flickers over to Angie for a second, registering her tight smile that speaks volumes to me but probably just seems polite to him. I’m in a world of trouble later. “Nice to meet you Andrew. And I’m sorry to interrupt, but we really must be going. We both have an early morning ahead of us.” 

He nods in understanding. “Of course, yeah. Have a nice night!” We both fake a smile back at him, but for different reasons. 

“You too.” I say softly. I frown as a feeling of apprehension settles in the pit of my stomach. I’m going to pretend like nothing’s wrong and stay quiet for the rest of the night. If I do anything else, it might trigger Angie into going off on whatever upset her. 

She holds my hand remarkably gently and guides me to the car. After opening the door for me, she places a hand on the small of my back and leans in. Before nudging me into the seat, she whispers, “C’mon. Smile for me. It’s not like I’ve done anything yet.” It sends a chill down my spine, and I wordlessly put my seatbelt on. 

The car ride home is eerily silent. I keep my eyes trained on my lap, wringing my hands a bit, my nervous habit resurfacing as I wonder what she might do when we get back. I don’t dare look over at her. Not even a glance. Instead, I stay as still and quiet as possible, hoping if I do it well enough I’ll disappear. 

When we arrive back at the house, we both wordlessly get out. Once she unlocks the front door, she grabs my hand tightly and pulls me after her. A sharp contrast from the restraint she must’ve been showing during those last few moments in public. 

Angie takes me to her office, and all but shoves me in the room, closing and locking the door behind her. 

“What the fuck was that, Katie?” She exclaims, raising her voice, very different from the calm and cool exterior she always presents. 

I stand very still, frozen in place. “What?”

“The boy. You left my side to go flirt with him. That is unacceptable!” She storms over to her desk and rifles through a drawer for something, procuring a small bunch of papers and setting them down. 

“I was not flirting with him. I just met him on the way from the bathroom. He was all alone, and I figured he could use the company.” I explain in an even tone, trying to reason with her and hopefully calm her down. 

Instead, this seems to have the opposite effect. 

Angie slams her hands down on the desk, causing me to jump a little. “You’re to stay with me at all times! How is it going to look when reporters and onlookers find you sneaking off with someone else?!” 

I stay quiet, knowing anything I say right now will just set her off again. But I feel the fire inside me flaring up again, ever so slightly. “You don’t own me.” I mumble, averting my gaze to the floor. 

She grabs the papers she got out and walks over to me with purpose. Angie roughly grabs my chin and tilts my head up so my eyes meet hers. “You signed a contract,” She says, holding up the very document. “You. Are. Mine.” 

I fan the flames once again and reply with more confidence. “You’re just jealous.”

She lets me go and laughs mirthlessly, holding my gaze. “You think I’m jealous? Trust me, sweetheart, you haven’t even seen jealousy.” 

With that, she puts the papers back in her desk drawer. After, she sits down in her chair, pushing back slightly from the desk, and calls me over in a calm sounding voice that makes me uneasy. 

I make my way over to her with slow careful steps. Once I’m within arms length of her, she reaches out and grabs me, forcing me to straddle her. Angie leans back in the chair and pulls me so close that my chest is flush against hers. I wrap my arms around her for some stability, a reaction I don’t think much of. 

She pulls my dress up around my hips. It takes me a moment to figure out what she’s doing, but once I do, my heart sinks and fills with dread.

“Thirty. Count.” Angie commands, placing her hand on my bottom. My heart rate speeds up significantly in response to her words and her touch. 

The first spank makes me realize just how fucked I am. Twenty-nine more to go. “One,” I say, taking a deep breath right after in an effort to soften the blow of the next one. 

By the tenth, I’m whimpering and digging my nails into her back. My body reacts, wanting to get away from the pain. My hips instinctively jerk forward right before she brings her hand down on my ass again. The thong I’m wearing does absolutely nothing to protect me from it. It provides such a little barrier between our bodies that I begin to feel something different. Something new. Between the haze of pain and confusion, it takes me a minute to place what it is. By the fifteenth spanking, it hits me all at once what the stiffness in Angie’s pants is. My breath hitches when I piece together what it means. 

As the punishment goes on, I become all too aware of the member underneath me. It just becomes more prominent as this continues, and it becomes increasingly more difficult to not intentionally grind against it. Toward, the end I give in a few times subtly, chasing the pleasure that comes with the much needed friction to avoid the pain. When we get to thirty, Angie gently pushes me back, observing my expression then slowly bringing her gaze down past my chest that’s rising and falling rapidly with every breath I take. She cups the most intimate area on my body then glances down at the small wet spot on her pants. “Mommy’s little slut. You’ve made such a mess.”

Her eyes meet mine, and I blush and look away. 

“What happened to that attitude of yours? Don’t tell me it’s all gone now. You’re so much fun to play with when you talk back.” She says while twirling a strand of my chestnut brown hair around her finger. 

Once again, I don’t reply, so she simply adds, “I won’t be as nice next time you misbehave.” After that, there’s a pause where she is seemingly deep in thought, Angie hums softly to herself and examines my expression for something. Several moments later, she pats my thighs and speaks up, “Time to go upstairs. It’s way past your bedtime, and we both have work in the morning.”


	10. I Need A Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a really tough little part in this chapter to write, and I just couldn't get past it on my own. I ended up needing some help with it, so a special thanks to Sam, Maggie, Cassidy, and another friend who shall not be named. You know who you are lol ;)

Out of all the things I could’ve pictured myself doing this morning, this was not it. I’ll admit, last night was tense. I didn’t expect things to be “normal” today. But here I am at six a.m. with one mission. Get Angie’s attention. So far, she hasn’t made me hot chocolate and a cutesy breakfast like she usually does; hasn’t acknowledged me with anything more than a soft “good morning”; and hasn’t set out an outfit for me. 

At the beginning, I wouldn’t have minded. But now I’ve become used to all those things, and the absence of them causes a strange, empty feeling to settle in. 

Mentally going through the list of rooms she could be in, I find myself at the doorway of her office. A lot of shit seems to take place in here since that’s often where she chooses to spend her time. It reflects her well since she checks all the boxes for being a workaholic. Peeking inside, I spot her looking down at her planner on the desk and writing some stuff in occasionally. She sips at her coffee and flips a page. I take a deep breath and slowly walk in. 

Ironically, the closer I get, the more I want to get to the bottom of this. “What are ya doing?” I ask playfully, lightly gliding my hand across the desk’s surface as I make my way to her side. 

“Looking over my schedule for the day.” She replies, no emotion in her voice. That’s the most I’ve heard since I got up. It’s way out of character for her. 

I get frustrated and press on with my not-so-well-thought-out-plan. Bending over slightly, I place my hand on the desk for some stability and make sure to stay mostly facing Angie. “Looks like a busy one.” I reply, glancing over it. 

I feel her gaze flicker up to my face then down to the bit of exposed cleavage this camisole is providing. She doesn’t spend as much time as I’d like focused there before looking back down at the planner. 

“Most of them are.” She says with a sigh, showing me that she’s not interested in taking this conversation any further. 

However, this only makes me want to win her attention over even more. I gracefully sit myself down on her lap and wrap an arm around her shoulders. Every move calculated to be just a touch seductive. 

“Then maybe you should take the time before work to relax…” I comment softly, twirling a strand of her hair. Her eyes meet mine briefly then trail down my body. She moves her hand slowly up my thigh, stopping once she gets just past halfway up. 

Gently feeling the material of my pajama pants, she asks, “Why aren’t you dressed yet? We have to leave soon.” 

I pout slightly for a cute effect. “You forgot to put an outfit out for me. I don’t know what you want me to wear today; I can’t read your mind.” 

She seems immune to this because she just replies, “Like I said, I’m very busy. I’m fully confident in your abilities to dress yourself for the day.”

My expression turns into a frown. I wordlessly get off her lap, heading to the kitchen. 

I’m stuck in my own head, feeling things I wouldn’t expect to feel as a result of anything to do with Angie. I’m hurt. The sudden lack of interest and attention from her has sent me spiraling into a mess of thoughts. 

I muddle through breakfast, picking at my food, not really interested in eating at the moment. Around seven, I clean up after myself and go back upstairs to brush my teeth and get dressed.

As I pull on my jeans, I begin to assess the situation. Has something changed? Did I do something wrong? Why is she being so distant? It’s hard to believe that I actually care enough to think these things let alone give a shit about what the answer might be. But I do. 

With a renewed sense of determination, I shove my jeans back down my legs and kick them off to the side. I walk to the closet and look over everything. Deciding on a dress, I pull out a casual navy blue one that, even with a v-neck, looks very modest and cutesy. 

I’m about to pull the zipper up the back when I see an opportunity to get under Angie’s skin. I leave it the way it is, holding it closed a bit with one hand. After doing my hair and slipping on a pair of shoes, I go downstairs. 

She’s probably somewhere down here since it’s almost time to leave for work. Looking around, I find her on the couch in the living room flipping through some pages that came out of the now empty folder in front of her. 

“Can you help me? Please?” I ask in the softest, sweetest voice possible.

She only looks up from her papers when I speak. Her gaze rakes down my body once, assessing what I’m wearing rather than checking me out. 

“With what?” Angie asks, monotone.

“There’s a zipper on the back of this dress…” I shyly reply.

Suddenly, there’s an emotion that flashes in her eyes that I can’t place. She nods and gets up from her spot on the couch. 

“Come here.” She beckons me to come closer. 

I do as she says, trying to hide my small smirk of triumph. I face away from her, letting go of the back for her to zip it up. There’s a split second of a pause that makes me hold my breath, waiting for her to snap and do something that I would normally expect from her. But it doesn’t come. She merely pulls the zipper all the way up to the top and steps back, putting her collection of papers back into the folder. 

I feel intense frustration bubble up inside me and leave the room immediately, going to the kitchen for a glass of water. 

As I sip the water, I think of something that will absolutely get her going. In any case, it’s a last resort answer to this problem. But if I don’t use it, I don’t know of anything else that would get a reaction out of her. 

I finish off the water and set the empty glass in the sink. As I’m doing this, Angie walks in and states, “We need to get going.”

I blink at her, finalizing my decision of what I’m about to do in my head in an effort to make sure this won’t be something I’ll end up regretting. 

“Okay, I’m ready.” I say. We walk through the living room and as we’re passing through the entryway, I stop and turn towards her. “Oh and before I forget, do you mind picking me up from the coffee shop later? I think I’m going to stop there after closing.” 

In an instant, Angie has me pushed back against the wall, my wrists in one of her hands pinned directly above my head. She looks into my eyes, her gaze fiery. Her face is just inches from mine, and despite my fear, I can feel the tension between us. It’s thick enough to cut with a knife. My lips part slightly as I glance down at hers. Her fingers trail down the side of my neck lightly. 

“You want to see that boy Andrew, hmm? Why is that exactly?” Angie’s brows knit together in mock confusion. “Is it because you think he’d be good company?” I force myself to tear my gaze away from her lips to meet her eyes. She chuckles to herself. “No, my dear, I don’t think that’s it…” She leans in, lips lightly grazing my neck. “In fact, I know that’s not it.” 

I swear my heart stops beating as she licks up my neck, placing the gentlest kiss there before intensely sucking and biting the same spot. She nudges my legs apart with her knee and presses it firmly in between them. I whimper when she nips my flesh particularly rough. Everything I’m feeling is so hard to take in. Too many sensations are occurring all at once, and I feel like I can’t catch my breath. Just as it’s about to be too overwhelming, Angie stops and pulls back slightly to admire the mark she’s left on me. 

She runs her fingertips over it, saying, “You’re afraid of what you’d let me do to you if you were alone with me.” To emphasize her point, she puts just a little more pressure where I need her most. 

It’s difficult to find my voice to tell her otherwise, so she takes it further, “You think he’ll be a hero, and save you…” Angie pauses, thoughtfully, then wraps her hand around my throat, applying pressure to the sides, effectively cutting off some blood flow. She continues where she left off, “... from the big, bad wolf that wants to devour you.” 

I begin to feel lightheaded, but in the most pleasurable way. Her lips are mere inches from mine as she warns, “I know what game you’re playing. But I play it better. If you continue, I’ll have no choice but to correct your behavior once and for all. I will win.” 

Just as I start to see little black spots around the corners of my vision, she lets go and completely steps away from me. I stabilize myself by leaning against the wall, coughing slightly. “Go pick out a pretty little hair tie with a bow on it, and bring it to me,” She commands with a smile that tells me more punishment is to come. I do as she says without hesitation, taking the first opportunity to leave the room. 

I go upstairs to the bedroom and locate where she keeps all of my hair accessories. Quickly picking out a black bow hair tie, I make my way back downstairs to her. I haven’t put much thought into why she wanted me to get her this until she says, “Turn around.” She braids my hair, securing it with the tie. Angie guides me over to a mirror in the entryway and positions me in front of it. She smiles at me in the mirror and comments, “A pretty little princess for mommy. Now everyone will be able to see who you belong to.” 

I’m infuriated, but feel powerless as I look at my reflection in the mirror. The big, dark purple bruise on my neck is fully on display with my hair pulled back like this. I shrug her hands off my shoulders and storm out the front door, going to the car and getting inside. She walks out and gets in not long after. 

The whole way to the store, neither of us say a word, but she makes sure to keep her hand on my thigh, squeezing lightly every so often. The action is purely possessive, and I’m about to lose my mind over it once we finally arrive. I try to open the door as soon as the car comes to a stop, but I find it locked. 

I look at Angie in frustration and confusion. “Your hair better still be in that braid when I come to pick you up here later.” 

Sighing, I reply, “Fine.” 

Her face brightens, and she smiles. “Good. I’m glad you seem to finally be understanding how this all works.” 

She unlocks the door, and I hop out immediately, not looking back once.

“Have fun at work, honey!” She yells from the car. 

I scoff as I unlock the front door and walk in to start the day. 

Once I get inside and see her drive off, I tug my hair out of the braid, not caring if Angie ever spontaneously shows up to check on me during the day. 

A few hours later, I’m grateful to myself for doing that. Business is booming, and it seems like I haven’t had more than fifteen minutes without a new customer walking in. The only real break I get is stepping out for a half an hour to get some lunch. 

As it nears closing time, I find myself physically and emotionally drained. Keeping up appearances after what happened this morning has been exhausting. I wonder how Angie keeps her energy up while causing drama and chaos at every opportunity. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her tired before. Must be nice. 

I have no clue how I’m going to endure five more months of this. It seems like something new every day with her. I know nothing about this arrangement is normal, but some part of me wants to believe that if things were different, it might be a little nicer. But between the events, publicity, and Angie’s over-possessiveness, I don’t know how I’m going to make it through with my sanity intact. 

And although I’m battling against all of those things, there’s still something about her that makes me push through. Even when she lets her controlling nature show and I feel completely trapped, there’s something that brings me back to her every time. Something that demands to have her attention. The lack of it lately seems to have thrown everything off-kilter. 

At some point, these thoughts and emotions become too overpowering and tears begin to well up. I try to blink them back, but the weight of everything seems to come down on me like an avalanche. And before I know it, I’m sobbing hysterically. I force myself to walk to the door and flip the closed sign over so no one else comes in. 

I decide against staying out in the open for now, heading to the back room to give myself some time and privacy to get my shit back together. After pulling out a chair and sitting down at the table, I try a breathing technique to calm myself. I haven’t encountered a time when it hasn’t worked, but it’s looking rather hopeless at the moment. With every new thought about my situation, a new wave of distress comes over me and sends fresh tears cascading down my cheeks. 

A haze of confusion wedges its way in between all of the other emotions when I hear the bell above the door ring, signaling someone’s entry. It doesn’t make any sense; the sign says we’re closed. My heart begins to race when I take a guess at who it probably is. Angie. I start to panic as I hear footsteps getting closer. 

For once, I’m wrong. Jim walks in, leaving me perplexed. He and Edith weren’t supposed to be back for a couple more days. 

Upon seeing me, his eyes soften and he quickens his pace toward me. He pulls up another chair and sits right beside me, putting a gentle hand on my shoulder. 

“Katie, what’s wrong?” He asks, his blue eyes full of genuine concern. 

A sob escapes me. It’s been so long since I’ve been asked that by someone who actually cares. 

When I calm myself enough, I wipe the tears from my eyes even though they just keep on coming. “I’m fine. Just girl stuff. It’s stupid. Don’t worry about it.” I give him a weak smile that, no matter how hard I try, is not convincing at all. 

Jim’s expression changes ever so slightly. Still concerned but almost offended. He knows I’m lying. “I know that’s not it. I thought you trusted me more than to lie to me like that.” 

I break eye contact and stare down at my hands in my lap, ashamed that there’s now something I’ve deemed worthy of keeping from one of the people I trust most. “I’m sorry.” I mumble, sniffling. 

Suddenly, I hear the bell over the door ring again. Thankfully, the answer of who caused it comes to me a little faster this time, and I have a second to figure out what to do.

“Katie?” Edith’s voice calls out. 

I look at Jim, and say in a panicked, hurried whisper, “Please go distract her or something. I don’t want her to see me like this.” 

His expression is now one of sympathy and powerlessness. As it is, there’s not much he can do, but it definitely limits him if I won’t even share what’s wrong. He takes this as a chance to help in the smallest but most available way possible. Wordlessly getting up from the chair, he makes his way out to the front of the store, and in moments, the sound of anyone else being in the vicinity is gone.

I take a deep, shaky breath, glancing at the clock. It’s our normal time to close up now, so I walk back out to the counter and look around for the hair tie I had in earlier. When I find it, I make my way over to a mirror and try to braid it as similar as I can get to how Angie had it. I almost wince when I look at the “love” bite. There wasn’t any love put into it, so it seems ironic to call it that, even if it's just in my own thoughts. It’s so bright in color that I can tell it’ll be at least three or four days before I can wear my hair up again. 

I try to angle myself as best as I can to see the back of the braid and the bow. It looks decent, and if she asks about it looking any different, I can say I had to redo it because it was falling out. 

I wipe at my eyes with a tissue and blow my nose, trying to erase any evidence of the breakdown I had just a bit ago. After, I do some light cleaning around the place to take my mind off of it while I wait for Angie to pick me up. 

I’m in between shelves when Jim walks back in alone, and asks pointedly, “How are things with Angie?” 

I know he’s already one step ahead of me, but I lie anyway. Every time I do, it hurts, but it would hurt more to let him know how things really are. “It’s great. She’s uh really...wonderful.” I force myself to smile as I say these things even though he can’t see me, hoping that the smile will seep into my words and make it more convincing. 

He pops around the corner to where I’m dusting off some shelves. “Katie,” Jim says with a serious tone. “Look me in the eyes and say that again.”

I close my eyes and breathe out slowly, trying to muster the strength to do that. I turn to him and shake my head. I can’t do it this time. I can’t make something up. 

“Why didn’t you tell us the truth when we called last week?” He asks, his tone soft. 

I shrug. “I didn’t want to ruin the rest of your trip. Besides, there’s nothing anyone can do to help. I just have to endure it for a little longer.”

“What do you mean ‘a little longer’?” He asks, puzzled. 

I sigh. “I’ll explain later. I don’t have enough time. She’ll be here any minute to pick me up.” 

I see him completely freeze when his gaze moves down slightly. I wrack my brain for what that might mean. And then I realize. I still had my hair down when he walked in earlier. He shakes his head. “I’ll take you home tonight, I need to know what’s going on.” He nods to my neck. “Something like that doesn’t add up if I’m reading this right.” 

Both of us change our expressions when someone walks in the door. This time it is Angie. She smiles her cat that ate the canary grin at us, acknowledging Jim first. 

“Nice to see you again, I’m just here to pick up our darling Katie.” She says brightly, making her way over to me, snaking an arm around my waist and pressing a kiss to my temple. “I hope you and Edith enjoyed your trip. It’s always nice to get away for a while.” 

He manages a small, tight smile and replies, “It was. But I’m glad to be back where I’m needed most.” His tone is almost accusatory toward Angie. I know the barely veiled anger is held back for my sake. “I hate that you had to drive all the way out here for nothing, but there are some things I need Katie to help me with before she leaves.” 

Angie’s grip on my waist tightens ever so slightly. “That’s fine. I’d be more than happy to wait.” 

“Oh no, that won’t be necessary. It’ll take a while. Go home and relax. I promise to bring her back to you in one piece.” Jim says in a way that leaves no room for argument. I look down at the floor, not wanting any part of this conversation. 

I can hear Angie’s fake smile in her voice. “Well thank you. I appreciate it.” She turns to me, rubbing my arms. “I’ll go start dinner. It should be ready by the time you get back.” I nod. And with a kiss on my cheek and a few parting words to Jim, she’s gone. 

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding the moment she drives off. He looks at me and grabs the duster out of my hand, setting it down. “Come on. We’re going for a drive of our own.” 

Jim drives out of town a little ways, questioning me about the situation with Angie the whole time. I answer his questions and then slowly find myself telling him everything. The contract, her jealousy towards Carolyn and Andrew, and how controlling she’s been since the day I first met her. 

He listens with long lapses of silence, taking it all in. Once I have nothing left to inform him of, he gives me his honest opinion. This isn’t a healthy situation, I need to get out of it, but he acknowledges Angie’s power in Collinsport. There’s no telling what she’d do if I were to make a quick exit out of her life before the contract term is up. 

He starts driving back toward town, not wanting to keep me out for too long that it would seem suspicious. With regret, he says, “You are strong. You can get through this. Five more months and then you’re home free. At least for the rest of it, we can be here for you every step of the way.” 

I tear up, grateful to have the support finally. I’ve felt very alone in this. It might be easier to get through now that that’s changed. I reply, just above a whisper, “Thank you.” Even as I’m experiencing such a pure, much needed moment, there’s still something in the back of my mind that wants things to get better with Angie. When she’s cold, it’s like being in the iciest winter I could ever imagine. Yet I still have hope that eventually she’ll be the person I saw yesterday morning, all the time. Glimpses of it here and there are enough to maintain that hope. I would never say it out loud, but I think I could even come to fall in love with that Angie. But those things take time, and there’s no guaranteeing it will ever happen. 

He glances over, smiles and nods reassuringly. “Don’t ever forget that you have a family here. Carolyn too. You should try reaching out to her soon. She might be mad, but she’ll get over it.” He pulls into the driveway of Angie’s house then adds, “And maybe you should get to know that boy Andrew a little more. He sounds nice.” 

I laugh and shake my head. “Slow down there. One thing at a time.” 

He laughs too. “Well, just something to think about then.” 

I smile, “Thanks for the ride home. And everything else.” I give him a quick kiss on the cheek before opening the car door and stepping out. 

“Night, kiddo,” He says warmly. 

“Night.” I reply before shutting the door and walking up the front steps. I don’t know what lies in store for the next several months or even for the next several moments as I walk inside. But I do know that no matter what happens, I won’t have to face it alone.


End file.
